Jane Doe who sued Jay-Z, Sean 'Diddy' Combs for sexual assault drops her lawsuit

A woman who sued Jay-Z and Sean "Diddy" Combs for allegedly sexually assaulting her as a teenager more than two decades ago has dropped her lawsuit.

According to a notice of voluntary dismissal filed in New York federal court and reviewed by USA TODAY Friday, Jane Doe dismissed the case "with prejudice," meaning it cannot be re-filed in the future.

Doe initially only named Combs in her October lawsuit. Then on Dec. 8, she amended the complaint to include Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter, as a defendant. She alleged that the two rappers drugged and raped her at an after-party following the MTV Video Music Awards in September 2000. She also claimed another unnamed celebrity "stood by and watched as Combs and Carter took turns assaulting" her.

In a statement shared with USA TODAY Friday, Jay-Z's attorney, Alex Spiro, said, "The false case against JAY-Z, that never should have been brought, has been dismissed with prejudice. By standing up in the face of heinous and false allegations, Jay has done what few can – he pushed back, he never settled, he never paid 1 red penny, he triumphed and cleared his name."

Combs' attorneys told USA TODAY that "today's complete dismissal without a settlement by the 1-800 attorney is yet another confirmation that these lawsuits are built on falsehoods, not facts."

"1-800 attorney" refers to the phone number Buzbee shared for potential victims to contact him when he announced in an October press conference that he would be representing more than 100 alleged victims of Combs' sexual abuse and assault.

"For months, we have seen case after case filed by individuals hiding behind anonymity, pushed forward by an attorney more focused on media headlines than legal merit," Combs' attorneys continued in their statement. "Just like this claim, the others will fall apart because there is no truth to them."

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The statement concluded, "Sean Combs has never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor. No number of lawsuits, sensationalized allegations, or media theatrics will change that reality. We will continue to fight these baseless claims and hold those responsible. This is just the first of many that will not hold up in a court of law.”

When reached by USA TODAY, Jane Doe's attorney, Tony Buzbee, declined to comment.

In a lengthy statement in December, when the rapper was accused of sexual assault, Jay-Z denounced the woman's "heinous" allegations and claimed the civil suit was "a blackmail attempt" by Buzbee, whom he called a "deplorable human."

In a statement to NBC News at the time, Buzbee defended the suit, saying that "Jane Doe’s case was referred to our firm by another, who vetted it prior to sending it to us" and his "client remains fiercely adamant that what she has stated is true, to the best of her memory."

Buzbee has filed at least two dozen lawsuits on behalf of clients alleging Combs has sexually assaulted them over the years. In one filed earlier this week, Combs was accused of sexually assaulting a man in 2022.

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Combs' attorneys have maintained the hip-hop mogul's innocence as he faces dozens of sexual assault lawsuits for alleged incidents that date back to the 1990s, as well as criminal sex crimes charges leveled against Combs in September.

The Bad Boy Records founder is currently in jail after being denied bond multiple times and is scheduled to head to trial for his sex trafficking and racketeering charges on May 5. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Jay-Z and Combs rose to prominence in the East Coast hip-hop scene in the mid-1990s, with Combs launching Bad Boy Records in 1993 and Jay-Z co-founding Roc-A-Fella Records in 1994.

The two have collaborated on numerous tracks over the years, including "Love & Life Intro" by Mary J. Blige, a remix of 50 Cent's "I Get Money," and the Diddy – Dirty Money hit "Coming Home" featuring Skylar Grey, which Jay-Z co-wrote and co-produced.

Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jane Doe ends sexual assault lawsuit against Jay-Z, Sean 'Diddy' Combs